Coffee on Gladstone

Coffee on Gladstone is a small, owner-run cafe at 165 Gladstone Road in Highgate Hill, on the hillside strip between West End and Dutton Park. It pours Bear Bones Coffee, a Brisbane-roasted specialty bean, alongside a short grab-and-go menu of homemade cakes, slices and savoury pastries: think choc mud cake, caramel crunch brownie and almond biscotti rather than a big sit-down kitchen. Reviewers call out the friendly owners almost as often as the coffee itself.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath tables, leashed and well-mannered, and the hosts have a reputation in the neighbourhood for looking after canine visitors. This is a compact cafe, so it suits a quick coffee stop on a walk rather than a long brunch camp; there is no established water-bowl ritual, so pack your own bowl. Position your dog on the building side of the tables, because Gladstone Road carries steady traffic through the morning.

Max: one block of hill, one flat white, and the owner already knew my name on the second visit.

Worth knowing

Hours are 6:30am to noon Monday to Friday and 7:30am to noon Saturday, closed Sunday. It shuts at midday sharp, so it is a morning proposition. The cafe sits on the 196 and 198 bus route, and street parking on Gladstone Road and the surrounding residential streets is the drive option.

Pair it with

Orleigh Dog Park by the river in West End is the natural off-lead leg of the walk, and Dutton Park Fenced Dog Park is the closer fully fenced option. For another dog-friendly coffee nearby, Bright Eyes Coffee in West End and NOS. Bakehouse & Cafe in Dutton Park are both a short walk or drive.

More options are in the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Highgate Hill destination page.